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Delivering medical specimens: More than just point A to point B

Medical specimen delivery is serious business. If a specimen sample is not delivered to the right place (or at the right time), there’s more at stake than an unhappy customer. Some samples are critical in nature (like bone marrow) and need to be carefully handled. Others, of course, are merely an inconvenience if they are lost and have to be retaken (a cholesterol sample, for example). Regardless, they are all waiting on a diagnosis based on the results of the lab tests on the specimens, and that’s very important to one’s health.

The proliferation of lost specimensRegardless of the field or profession, Americans are largely overworked. Many organizations work to reduce costs and look for ways to be more efficient, with the result often being a heavier workload for employees. When that happens, it’s likely that accuracy and productivity are compromised, and medical couriers are no exception.

A friend recently took to Facebook complaining about having to go to the lab “again” because they “lost her blood sample”. Amazingly, her post opened up a barrage of responses from her Facebook friends who expressed the very same frustration with their own local hospitals and labs – in various parts of the country!

It was surprising how many people had experienced the same situation of having to go back to the lab to provide another sample. The stories were shocking, with some saying they had to go back two or even three times! This is a very real reality, particularly when manual procedures are part of an already overloaded workflow. It is in situations like these that accuracy can easily be compromised.

How does MCE solve the problem of lost specimens?

MCE creates a chain of custody; integrating GPS tracking and barcode scanning means that information about courier and specimen location can be obtained in real-time, any time.

With barcoding there is always a way to track the specimen, giving couriers the credibility needed, and proper labeling of samples and bags maintains order for each delivery. (Learn more about the advantages in this MCE Barcoding Brochure).

Improved workflows; couriers and lab administrators use MCE to make the entire process more efficient. From optimizing daily routes to point-to-point scanning of barcodes for each pick-up and drop-off, the process leaves little room for error and greatly improves operating efficiency.

What does MCE do to improve courier performance?

In addition to improved performance and productivity, MCE also works to keep couriers safe and data secure. Courier safety is protected by MCE’s “emergency alert” feature and device data becomes more secure when MCE’s lockdown mode is activated.

When an MCE mobile device is in lockdown mode, courier functionality is limited only to those features that reside within the MCE app. The inability to access the internet or other non-MCE apps on the device means couriers can remain focused on immediate tasks (driving or achieving on-time pickup and delivery, for example). Administrators also have the flexibility to restrict the app to only certain usable functions on the device. If the courier is driving, for example, the device can be configured so no outside calls can be made while the vehicle is moving.

Safety & Security Features within MCE include:

Preventing Android devices from initiating automatic updates; keeping bandwidth from being impacted or other issues that may occur during the update process.

Couriers only have access to permitted apps which lessens security threats and keep devices running smoothly.

Bottom line, MCE transforms the specimen delivery process from both the courier and administrative sides, and can save countless hours, dollars and headaches when properly implemented.

As a side note, it would be handy to know where all those Facebook friends were located so we could sell their local labs lots of MCE! Kidding aside, we take the importance of specimen logistics very seriously. We are proud to be able to help the labs we’ve assisted over the years, particularly when we hear them talk about how much time they can save, how they’ve finally regained credibility with their clients, and how easy it is to use MCE. Contact us today to talk about your medical courier process and see how we can help.

Let Us Know How We Can Help

Thanks for your interest in Medical Courier Elite! If you're interested in learning more about our solution and how it can help your business, we'd be happy to schedule a demo, provide a quote or answer any questions you may have.